Weight of the World
by Kaline Reine
Summary: Don't cling to her, she swears she can't fix you. Still in the dark, can you fix her?. If you love me, then let go of me. I won't be held down by who I used to be. Edward meets a new girl, and they try to fix each other. But love means having to let go.
1. Dark Days Ahead

**Weight of the World **

**Chapter 1: Dark Days Ahead**

_Feels like the weight of the world  
Like God in Heaven gave me a turn  
Don't cling to me, I swear I can't fix you  
Still in the dark, can you fix me?_

_Freefall, freefall, all through life_

_If you love me, then let go of me  
I won't be held down by who I used to be  
She's nothing to me_

_Feels like the weight of the world  
Like all my screaming has gone unheard  
And oh, I know you don't believe in me  
Safe in the dark, how can you see?_

_Freefall, freefall, all through life_

_If you love me, then let go of me  
I won't be held down by who I used to be_

_If you love me, then let go of me  
I won't be held down by who I was_

_If you love me, then let go of me  
I won't be held down by who I used to be..._

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The girl leaned with one ear against the front door. A knot grew in her stomach, as she held her breath to listen. Quietly and carefully, she turned the handle, hoping no one would hear it. Maybe they would all be soundly asleep. Her black boots clunked noisily on the front porch, and she decided that goth gear was not designed for sneaking in and out of one's house.

When she slowly pushed the door open, her face slid anxiously inside. Her nose bumped into a... another nose? Panic flooded through her when she saw leathery, wrinkled skin, and weathered brown eyes.

"Katrina," Her Uncle's voice already held a warning. "What have I told you 'bout stayin' out so late?"

"I'm sorry, Henry." She smoothed a black feather of hair out of her face. He was her Uncle, but damned if she would ever call him that. Her tone held a certain sarcastic quality that he did not appreciate.

"You go upstairs to yer room, and you stay in there, young 'un!"

Katrina repressed the urge to laugh in his face. "That's where I was going anyway, jerk off."

"What'd you call me?"

"I think she called you a jerk off," It was Katie, her little sister. She was up late again. Good, that meant Katrina wouldn't be the only one to get yelled at that evening. "You should ground her for _at least_ a week."

"Isn't it past your bed time, punk?"

"Katrina, it ain't _yer_ place to tell her what to do!" Their Uncle yelled. He couldn't decide which girl to yell at the loudest.

"I don't understand a word you just said. Well Katie, you heard the man. Let's go."

"_Not_ suh fast," Henry intercepted the older girl in the hallway. "What is that in yer nose?"

"A nose ring?"

"Rings is for yer hands, not yer nose! Take that thing out of yer face, and tomorruh mornin' yer both comin' with us to church! Now it's off to bed with ya both." He gently shooed both girls down the hallway, especially Katie who wasn't listening.

"Fine," Katrina slammed her door, and locked it behind her. She heard Katie's slam even louder a few second later from just down the hall.

She put on her headphones, and turned up her music as loud as it would go. Her room was a complete mess, but it was _her_ mess. And she wouldn't have it any other way. The other members of the household all knew that was Katrina's personal space, and no one ever dared to enter it without her permission.

Sleep would not come easily that night. She knew the world did not understand her. Katrina was sure her Uncle had thought that she was out with Max again. But if she were with Max, she would have been home _way before_ her eight o' clock curfew. Being sixteen, it was expected that she would have a healthy interest in boys. But what they didn't know was that she didn't really care about Max or anyone else. She liked him, and it was nice to have someone to call "her boyfriend" but that was it.

Sighing, she rolled over and pulled the covers over her. The blacklight that illuminated her room was usually always on, unless she wasn't home. Tonight, she hadn't even bothered to turn it on.

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Katrina awoke to the smell of pancakes and bacon. She smiled. It was a beautiful day, and she gazed out her bedroom window with longing. Longing for what, she did not know.

Pausing only to arrange her clothes from the previous night, and to add a layer of dark red lipstick to the one that had been smudged by sleep, she left her room, locking the door behind her. The key dangled from her keychain, mixing in with her house key, and the key to Max's house. He'd given her a key, but she never really used it. The same went for the key to her Aunt's van.

"Awake early this morning, I see," Aunt Hilda remarked from her place in front of the stove.

"The smell of food woke me up."

"That figures," Henry Oaks grumbled from his side of the kitchen table, as the goth girl took her seat opposite him. He and his wife had spent three years raising these girls, and for what thanks? They would both turn into modern-day mutants, just like the rest of the world. Why couldn't people turn back to the old ways? He and his wife Hilda seemed happy enough doing just that.

"What's your problem?" Katrina rolled her eyes, and awaited his answer, so she could focus on ignoring it.

"All ya do is eat our food, and live in our house. I shoulda _never_ let ya'll move in here! Who were ya with last night, anyhow? It's not that 'Matt' boy again, is it?"

"His name is Max," Katrina knew she didn't have to tell him that; he knew it. She changed the subject. "Where's Katie?"

"Still asleep, lazin' about the house, _as usual_! If I ever catch either one of you out that late again, it'll be out on the streets with the lot uh yuhs!"

"Now Henry," His wife's voice warned. "Be nice to Kat. She's been going through alot lately. And Katrina, please make an effort not to be out that late again. Your curfew is eight o'clock, and you _know_ that." She always was the peace-maker of the bunch. That was just Hilda's way.

Katrina nodded, taking an offered plate from her Aunt. "Sure thing." She started eating, pretending not to notice her Uncle's cold stare.

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After breakfast, Henry had been insistent that Katrina go with them to church. But Hilda did not want them to force their religion on anyone. Despite that, they both asked that she go with them. She knew they really didn't care, they were just using that as a way to punish her, somehow. It's not like they actually wanted to be in her company, anyway. The girl stormed out of the house, and again she slammed the door.

"Hey, that door does not belong to you!" Her Uncle screamed after her. But his words fell on deaf ears.

Katrina already knew where she was going. She didn't want to have to deal with anyone else's bullshit today. She headed straight for the old castle that stood just north of the town.

Everything about that place brought her comfort. From the gnarled stone gargoyle that stood as a silent sentinel out front, to the beautiful flowers that grew within the garden walls, she loved it all.

As far as she knew, no one else really knew about this place but her. It was her refuge, and it always would be... It was a place she came to think, and to be alone. Katrina had been coming here since she was a very small child, and she was not _about_ to stop now. Strangely, it had never ocurred to her to question why all the flowers remained lovely, and bloomed all year round. There were hedges made into all kinds of fantastic shapes and they were always neatly trimmed. Sometimes there were new ones; the garden was always changing.

There were lots of different stories surrounding the old castle. Most people were afraid of it, after believing one crazy story or another, and that was probably why no one ever ventured near it. They were all afraid of such a beautiful place... But Katrina was not afraid.

Sometimes she felt like she was being watched. But that only gave her comfort, it did not frighten her. Strangely, she had _never_ gone inside the actual castle itself. She had never needed to; just coming to the garden was enough.

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When she arrived home at five minutes 'til eight, Henry gave her a manacing glare as she walked past him when he held the door for her. When she made it to her room, her only other refuge, she was glad that she'd made it home on time. But she was even happier that she had still managed to piss her Uncle off.

Her sister was sporting a new hairstyle consisting of platinum blonde bangs framing her face from the sides. The rest of her head was dyed dark brown, almost black. When Katie had passed her in the hallway, she snickered at Katrina's serious stare.

"Chill out..." She said.

'Tell him that,' Kat added her two cents to the conversation silently, as she always did. She found it made people less angry not to hear all her snippy comebacks. 'He's the one being an ass.'

Katrina smiled, as she sat on her bed. She knew that she wouldn't be in trouble, but he would still be angry with her. And he wasn't the _only_ one. She'd passed her boyfriend Max on her way home. She sighed, remembering his sexy hazel-green eyes that seemed to know hers. His black hair was like hers too, but he wore it so tame, neatly brushed back behind his head. She wished he'd grow a backbone, and tell his parents to just screw off! They were always trying to tell him what to do. He's been mad at Katrina for not going over to his house today. She was free to do whatever she wanted, and she had wanted to go to her garden. Not hang out with some boring guy.

She took off her boots, followed by her fishnet stockings and little black mini-skirt. She pulled her shirt over her head, followed by her iron necklace with the big black cross hanging from it. Her Aunt and Uncle didn't like it. They said it was a "mockery of their religion", or some crap, but she didn't give a damn.

Finally she grabbed a towel from her bathroom shelf, and ran herself a tub of water. She needed more than just a shower tonight. She needed to sit in her bathtub alone and think for a while.

_'Damn, I almost forgot about these...'_ She yanked off her many rings, one by one, placing them on the sink. It was nice having her own room with an adjoining bathroom, she didn't have to worry about people touching her things. As she sank into the bathwater, Katrina forgot her worries for a little while... Her mind drifted back to the garden. It always did, somehow.

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Edward Scissorhands (the movie, the settings, or any of the characters), and I have no idea who does. I do not own the song "Weight of the World" by Evanescence, nor do I own Amy Lee or Evanescence. I do own the characters of Uncle Henry, Aunt Hilda, Katie, Katrina, Max, and anyone else who appears in this fic. **

A/N: Well, the first chapter is done. I hope you like this one! Please R&R, this is my first Edward Scissorhands fanfiction story EVER! I really would like to know what you all think of it so far. I like the way Katrina seems to put things in perspective, somewhat. And no, as you can see, she just isn't that into her boyfriend. Don't worry, things are going to get interesting, very soon. Right now this sounds more like "Secret Garden" than an E.S. fic, but I'm building. Surely you can appreciate that? And the song at the beginning is bascially the summary of the whole fic; you'll see what I mean later. I love reviews, so please PLEASE read and review!

-Kaline Reine


	2. The Watcher

**Weight of the World**

**Chapter 2: The Watcher**

The week pressed on, and all Katrina wanted to do was go back to the garden. It seemed to consume her thought this week. She didn't understand why it was soo important to her right now. She had other things on her mind too. It was just... Well, she didn't know _what_ it was, exactly. But she knew that she wanted a break, and going back to her only place of refuge seemed like a good idea.

People were always bugging her; crowding her. And at school, it was made even worse for her. But it was Friday at last, and her homeroom teacher had already given out report cards to everyone. Most of the other teens just hid them somewhere, or threw them in the trach can on their way out. But not Kat. She had straight A's, as usual. She didn't even bother to glance at the black and white card when the teacher handed it to her. She knew what it said, and so did all the others. It was just wishful thinking that made them all look at their grades, and then cringe when reality hit them hard. Katrina was different.

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As she was leaving the school, she noticed her boyfriend Max walk up to greet her just outside the double doors. He had dyed his hair brown, and it suited him more than the black ever had. Hazel-green eyes shown brightly from his angular, somewhat handsome face. Kat thought he was okay. But he was more like a trophy boyfriend than anything else. She didn't really care as much for him as he did for her, and it was becoming more and more obvious to her every day. But Max didn't seem to notice.

"Hey Kat," The one who had given her her nickname smiled cheerily. It almost sickened her. "Where you going?"

"Home." She kept walking.

"Want me to walk you home?"

She shrugged.

They walked on in silence, the sound of their shoes hitting the pavement being the only sound between the two. Her house was not a long way from their school, so it wasn't really much of a walk, anyway. it took about fifteen minutes, and by then, they were smiling at each other pleasantly, but saying nothing. They had already talked about pretty much everything there was to talk about anyway. Everything, that is, except for one thing: their relationship. It was somewhat of a taboo topic for them. They were like that.

And when they reached her house, her Aunt was sitting out on the front porch.

"I wouldn't go inside if I were you," She whispered to Katrina. "Henry's been drinking again... So how was your day at school?"

"It was fine. Here."

She handed her the report card, and Hilda just looked it over, and smiled. "Such good grades. You must get that from your father's side of the family. Well, have fun, you two. Just try not to stay out late, like you did last weekend. You know that always upsets your Uncle."

"Yeah, sure."

Was she being pushed into spending time with her boyfriend? It certainly sounded like it. Oh well, Kat accepted it, and would try to make the best of it. She left her backpack on the porch, knowing her Aunt would take care of it, and walked away with Max in tow.

"So what do you wanna do?" He asked her, shyly.

"Well..." Kat thought about it for a moment. She wanted to be with him, but on the other hand, her heart knew what it needed. "I kind of think I need some alone time today."

He just looked at her, hurt.

"_Please_ don't be that way!" The goth girl whined, hating his accusing eyes. "I see you at school every day. And I've spent alot of time around people lately. I just need some space, it's nothing personal."

"I can tell when you're being honest, Kat. I always could. It's no big deal, just go and do whatever it is you do when you're alone."

Then Max smiled, and wandered off, pretending not to care. But she knew it was just a facade. He had been hurt, if only for a moment. She did care for him, but she just wanted to go back to her garden, where she could be free. It was almost poetic, how she felt so drawn to it.

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In her happy place at last, Kat leaned against one of the stone pillars that occupied the lower end of the garden. She had that old feeling of being watched again. She liked to think that Angels or Faeries were watching over her when she was in the garden. But today it felt... funny. No real reason or explanation, it just did.

It was with that fleeting thought, that she saw someone walking toward her. Kat was surprised, to say the least. No one else was supposed to be here! Not that they couldn't, but it was just that no one _ever _came to this place; it was her haven.

"H-hi," Said a calm and gentle voice. The word was spoken like a whisper on the wind, and she wasn't even sure she had heard anything at all.

"What are you _doing_ here?" She tried to sound calm, but this guy had some serious weapons in his arsenal, apparently. Were those _steak knives_?! She knew she should be freaked out, but oddly, she wasn't.

"I l-live here."

"Oh," She didn't have a clue what to say.

A tall figure stood only a few feet from her. His black hair was a tangled mess, above his pale features. Kat didn't pay much attention to the scars, but she did wonder how he got them. If someone had done that to him, then it was no wonder he acted so frightened. So this was the man who lived in the castle... She had expected someone... else. There were tons of stories surrounding this place, but this was getting weird._ 'Wait... Are those his... hands?!'_ She stared at them, her ice blue eyes going wide.

"When will you be back?"

"What?"

"I s-said... When are you coming back?"

He looked manacing, but his voice was so... gentle. Kat almost felt sorry for him. Had he been the one watching her for all this time? "Tomorrow, I guess. Tomorrow is Saturday, so I can do whatever I want."

Dark eyes lit up brightly. She_ wanted_ to come here?! For some reason, that made Edward happy. He could tell this girl was different. "You_ l-like_ it here?"

"Have you been watching me?" He waited a long time, and then nodded. "What's your name?"

"Edward."

"Well, Edward... My name's Katrina. But you can call me Kat."

She extended a hand to shake his, and then realized her grievous error. _'Oops... I've so got to remember not to do that!'_ He looked sad when she did that, so she took her hand back. So her worst fears were confirmed, the dude did have scissors, or- or _something_!- for hands. That was just plain weird...

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Kat really didn't see him as much of a threat. She decided to continue her day in the garden anyway, just as she normally would. He followed her around in silence, and she found she almost enjoyed his company. He certainly was not what she was used to. Edward just watched her with a curious expression on his face.

"Are we f-friends?" He had asked her at one point.

"Yes," She had smiled back at hime. "Yes, we are."

Eventually, she sensed it was starting to get sort of late, so Kat told him goodbye, and reminded him that she would see him tomorrow. Edward smiled, and did not offer her a response, but instead went back into his castle.

Katrina walked home, in a dazed state, wondering if it were all some kind of bizarre dream. She had already decided not to tell anyone about Edward. The world was not ready to handle the truth. It was, after all, the same world that shunned her very existence from the time she was born, up until now.

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Edward, or anything from the movie. But I do own Katrina, and all the other OCs. **

A/N: Thanks for reading! Not many people are reading this story, but to the few who do: I love you! And I hope you like this story. It would be nice to get some reviews knowing what you think, though. So please R&R! This is my first E.S. fic, so be kind, Lol. Hah, I surprised you, didn't I? Edward is in the fic already, yay! And he and Kat share an unusual... bond. That's all I will say for now. I have noticed that the E.S. fandom here on FFnet is kind of lacking. I hope to change all that. Maybe... Well, I can try, anyway. I hope this story touches at least one person, b/c if it does, then I have done my job!

-Kaline Reine 


	3. Ice Once Warmed

**Weight of the World**

**Chapter 3: Ice Once Warmed**

Saturday, when Kat woke up, she knew it was going to be a wonderful day. But it would still be a day, and that always meant trouble. Luckily, her Uncle was still passed out on the sofa from his hangover that morning. When she stepped out of her own little world that was her room, sporting her black combat boots, and cliche little black armwarmers, she felt ready to take on the "real" world full force. Long fishnet stockings twisted their way from beneath her knee-length black skirt, that was topped by her gray turtleneck sweater. And she hadn't skipped a single piece of jewelry...

Katie rolled her eyes, from the porch when she saw her step out. "Where are you going, Miss Priss?"

"To see Max."

At first she had thought it was a lie, but it wasn't. She owed him a little of her time, at least. But she really just wanted to see that strange creature that she knew was waiting for her to return. Kat decided that she'd hang out with Max just enough to keep him off her case.

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And that was what she did. After spending a little less than half a day with her boyfriend, which she felt was more a wasted day than anything, Kat headed straight for the castle.

This time, she dared to venture inside. If he could risk coming outside to see her, then she could risk going in there to see him. It was only fair. She passed alot of rusty old lab equipment, and she saw something tall that glistened in the distance. When Kat walked up to it, she saw there were _dozens_ of them! They were ice sculptures, and beautiful ones, at that!

But she saw that they had started to melt. What a shame... But that was what happened due to the heat of the approaching summer. Kat felt sorry for poor Edward. He had worked so hard to make such beautiful things, and now they were all melting.

"H-hi..."

That was when she saw Edward. He was sitting in a chair in the corner, looking out an open window. She joined him, and saw that he didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular. He was a goth girl's dream come true; with his crazy black tangles, sweet pleading smile, and tight shiny black outfit. What a shame he was so distant... That was the first time she'd really paid any attention to how he dressed. She was instantly envious of his black outfit with the hot silver rings hanging from it and strapped to it, in some places. He was wrapped from head to toe, but it still revealed alot.

"Hi Edward," She smiled cheerily at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stayed remarkably calm, considering that was the first human contact he'd had in years. But he tried his hardest not to flinch away from the girl. "So this is where you live? Why don't you show me around?"

He got up, and led her over to a table that was full of lab equipment. Maybe she could fix him! He smiled sadly, knowing it was a false hope... Kat saw it, and wondered how he used any of it if he had no hands.

"Is this your lab stuff?" He shook his head no. "Then, someone else must live here with you. Who lives here?"

"Just me."

That didn't make any sense. But Kat shrugged it off, and continued to let him show her around his home. He took her in alot of rooms, including the room where he slept. It was plain stone, just like the rest of the castle, and she found out he was sleeping on the floor!

"That is so sad," She told him. "Why don't you come and stay with me? You could live in my room, it'd be fun!"

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

He just looked at the girl for a long moment. Edward knew he would not see her again after this. That's how they all were. He tried to memorize her face, she was so beautiful... Her bright eyes shown like blue stars in a sea of black coal eyeliner and mascara. He didn't know what any of that was, of course. The first day they met her lips had been a dark red. Today they were darkest black; her skin as pale as his own. He'd never seen another person that looked like Kat. Maybe she wasn't a person at all. But she sure acted like one. He wished he could find a way to tell her what happened. After years of not talking, it was hard to say anything at all. And so he just kept looking at her; it was all he could do.

When he looked at her with those sad brown eyes, she almost melted. It was a look of complete and total despair, as if he'd given up all hope in that instant. All she had done was be nice to him, and it was making him sad? She wanted to know, but knew he could not tell her.

"That's okay," She told him, breaking the strangely comforting silence between them. "I understand. Something must have happened to you out there."

"Yes," He moved to put an arm around her, but decided it might scare her.

"Let's go see the garden, come on."

She led him outside this time. Kat thought she'd pretty much seen all there was to see in the gloomy old castle. She needed some fresh air, anyway. She wondered how Edward managed to care for the garden when he came outside so rarely.

"Are these new?" She pointed to a patch of daisies, and he nodded. "I love daisies, they're my favorite flower. Most girls like roses, but not me."

"Flowers are pretty." He wanted to tell Kat she was pretty.

"Yeah, they are. Listen, I have to go home soon. It's getting late. Are you sure you don't want to come with me, Edward?"

He nodded sadly. "I want to, but I can't."

Sadly, the goth girl walked through the gate, and out into the cold and empty world. She would never forget Edward, no matter what happened, she promised herself. She really wanted to find out more about him. Maybe there was some information about the previous owner of the castle in the library? But for now she had to go home.

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No one really bothered her when she got to her house. She thought about going with her Aunt and Uncle to church tomorrow, even though she really wanted to go see Edward again. She hadn't told him when she'd be back. But he didn't stop her from leaving, or ask her this time.

Deciding she needed to relax, Katrina put on her headphones so she would not disturb anyone else in the house._ 'Screw all of them,'_ She thought. _'They don't know what's inside my head. But if only they knew...'_

Laughing to herself, she slipped into a long golden sleep; at peace with her world, at last.

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**Disclaimer: I don't own E.S. the movie, or anything else, etc. But I wouldn't mind owning Edward for a while... He's so cute!**

A/N: Sorry this chapter was shorted than others. I tried to make it longer, but it just didn't work out that way. I have alot planned for the next one, so that should make up for it. And once again, I have other fics I am working on too, so that's why chapters on this one might take a little longer to get out. I try to update at least once a week, if not a little more often, though. I appreciate reviews and encouragement. Thanks for reading! And feel free to please review, even if you don't like it. Oh, and how did I do keeping Edward in character? I hope this is okay...

-Kaline Reine


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